Saltwater angling
is one of the Southeast's most popular recreational
activities. Each year, more anglers are pursuing the red drum or redfish
as it is commonly called. In fact, a whole segment of the marine
industry has developed to provide specialized boats, engines, tackle,
and gear to redfish anglers. Nowadays, professional anglers pursue
redfish on tournament trails, which are televised nationwide.
While the popularity of redfish is a boon to coastal communities and to
the marine industry, it is cause for concern among natural resource
managers. Since redfish don't mature until the fourth year of life, the
species is at constant risk from overfishing. Consequently, all states
with redfish fisheries have restrictive slot size and daily possession
limits. Some prohibit the take of all adult-size redfish and others have
outlawed sale. But will these traditional management tools always be
enough? |
It is important that anglers, fishery scientists, and natural resource
policy makers explore all options for keeping redfish populations
healthy and anglers satisfied. The question of whether hatchery-reared
redfish can be used as a cost-effective and ecologically sound fishery
management tool must be answered. more...
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Peachstate Reds 5 Year Initiative
www.PeachStateReds.org
Georgia Department of Natural Resources •
Coastal Resources Division
One Conservation Way •
Brunswick, GA 31520
(912) 264-7218 •
http://crd.drn.state.ga.us
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